We've had a rash of drownings in Ontario this summer. Some of them have been swimmers, but there's now a move afoot to make it mandatory for boaters to wear a lifejacket/PFD rather than just have it on board. Transport Canada is reviewing the regs, and on August 12 the commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police issued a public statement supporting the idea of mandatory wear. No one is making distinctions between size or class of vessel.
I've already had a shot at this subject on my cruising blog. I quite often wear a pfd when sailing my C&C 27, as well as a safety harness (which the law doesn't require) but I think requiring lifejackets to be worn on all vessels, all the time, is regulatory overkill. It's like making all drivers and passengers in automobiles wear helmets because motorcyclists are prone to head injuries. I do think it should be mandatory for vessels 6 meters or less, which would take care of the vast majority of "problem" boats. (Besides, anyone with an ounce of common sense is already wearing a pfd when they're in a canoe, a kayak, or a sailing dinghy, not to mention a yacht tender.) I could go on, but I won't. Wondering instead how other people feel about this.
I've already had a shot at this subject on my cruising blog. I quite often wear a pfd when sailing my C&C 27, as well as a safety harness (which the law doesn't require) but I think requiring lifejackets to be worn on all vessels, all the time, is regulatory overkill. It's like making all drivers and passengers in automobiles wear helmets because motorcyclists are prone to head injuries. I do think it should be mandatory for vessels 6 meters or less, which would take care of the vast majority of "problem" boats. (Besides, anyone with an ounce of common sense is already wearing a pfd when they're in a canoe, a kayak, or a sailing dinghy, not to mention a yacht tender.) I could go on, but I won't. Wondering instead how other people feel about this.